Request For Help, concerning flattening layers..

[Aeron]

I'm having difficulty flattening layers that have different effects such as soft light, multiply and other filters from the layer menu. When I flatten the layers the filters are shut off, reverting them to their original versions. I know that when flattening the image this doesn't happen, just when flattening a selection of layers against the background. Can anyone explain how to flatten the layers of differing filter effects without those layers reverting to the original versions?

Thanks!

[jamboree]

I think many people have had this problem.. I haven't got photoshop open to check, but I think you have to flatten it to a white layer, like the background.

If you make an alpha or selection of the layer first, then flatten it down with the adjustment layers onto white, then delete the white?

[Metsys]

Basically what's happening is blend modes don't work when opaque pixels in the top layer try to blend with transparent pixels in the bottom layer. There's no colored pixels to blend with, so it adopts the normal behavior. You can see this phenomenon in action by setting the blend mode of your brush and then paint over transparent and opaque areas of your layer. (The image below shows what happens when I tried to paint yellow-orange over blue with the multiply blend mode).

As was suggested earlier, merging layers with a white or black layer, depending on what blend mode you are using, is a good solution provided your are mixing layers that have the same blend mode together. When I do use blend modes I never merge them because of the hassle. If I need to organize my Photoshop layers I'll use folders or smart objects.